PODCAST · religion
Sermons from St. Herman's
by Fr. Matthew Howell
Homilies given either at Saint Herman Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wasilla, Alaska or by its priest, Fr. Matthew Howell during his travels outside the parish. Feel free to play "Homily Bingo" while listening! Get a bingo card here: https://myfreebingocards.com/bingo-card-generator/30-free-cards/gbhcwg3
Episodes
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"Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us?” — The Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke
On the feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, Fr. Matthew Howell opens by sharing an insight from Fr. Timothy into the interweaving of Scripture and the services of the Church: Christ clothes Himself in our human nature so that we can be clothed in His incorruption, while Hades is…
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St. Tikhon of Moscow and Gratitude — the 3rd Sunday of Luke
While visiting St. Innocent of Alaska OCA Church in Eureka, California, Fr. Matthew Howell receives a two-minute introduction from the rector, Fr. Athanasius Kone. Using the gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Luke as a springboard, he discusses how Christ’s body is life-giving, how He offers it to us…
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Your Entire Life Is a Eucharist — 2nd Sunday of Luke by Fr. Matthew Snowden
On the 2nd Sunday of Luke, Fr. Matthew Snowden of St. Nicholas Antiochian Church in Jackson, Tennessee, and principal of St. Athanasius Academy, reflects on the spiritual law of abundance. He begins with the mountain streams of Hatcher Pass, explaining that the water rushes so forcefully because…
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As Obedient as a Fish — 1st Sunday of Luke
On the 1st Sunday of Luke, Fr. Matthew Howell opens with a story about his pilgrimage to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex. While there, Fr. Melchizedek taught him there is only one shortcut on the path to salvation: obedience. He calls it "the rocket ship of salvation" because it...
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The Cross as the Tree of Life — The Sunday after the Holy Cross by Fr. Timothy Kolb
On the Sunday after the Holy Cross, Fr. Timothy Kolb reflects on Christ's call to "take up your cross and follow me" through a meditation on the two main trees in the Garden of Eden. Drawing on St. Maximus the Confessor, he explains the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil as representing the...
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Through the Cross, Joy Comes to the World — The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross by Fr. Timothy Kolb
On the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, Fr. Timothy Kolb reflects on the paradox that the cross, though full of suffering, brings joy into the world. He opens with a story of an abbess who tells visitors that what feels like heaven to them is closer to hell for the monastics who live out...
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The Cross is the Intersection of Our Lives — The Sunday Before the Elevation of the Holy Cross
On the Forefeast of the Elevation of the Cross, Fr. Matthew Howell traces the history of this feast from St. Constantine entrusting his mother, St. Helen, to search for the true cross of Christ, through its discovery and eventual return to Jerusalem. He explains that there is power in the cross...
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Microwaves, Olive Orchards, and Joy — The Nativity of the Theotokos
On the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, Fr. Matthew Howell reminds us that this day honors not only the Theotokos, but her parents, Joachim and Anna. They endured years of public shame and ridicule due to their lack of children, remaining faithful through prayer. Along the way, he…
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Funnel Cakes and Villains — The 14th Sunday of Matthew
On the 14th Sunday of Matthew, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches on the parable of the Great Supper. He walks us through the spiritual implications of the King's invitation, the excuses of those who refuse, and the wedding garment worn by those who are gathered in. And he urges us to view ourselves as...
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Abide in the Vine -- The 13th Sunday of Matthew
On the 13th Sunday of Matthew, Fr. Timothy Kolb walks through the parable of the wicked vinedressers verse by verse, drawing on the Fathers' interpretation of each detail. He explains the vineyard as Israel, the hedge as the Law, the winepress and tower as the altar and temple, and the…
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Discernment Receptors: Why We Fast — The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
On the feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, Fr. Matthew Howell uses the story of Herod's downfall as a case study on the importance of fasting. He explains how Herod let his body override his soul, first through adultery, then a drunken vow he refused to break even to save an innocent...
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Forgiveness, Sin and Tithing -- 12th Sunday of Matthew
On the 12th Sunday after Pentecost and the 12th Sunday for the readings from the gospel of Matthew, Fr. Matthew Howell talks about the ridiculous debt of the wicked servant and how it relates to our sinfulness toward God. He also discusses forgiveness and tithing and their importance to one's...
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Smattering of Thoughts on Forgiveness -- 11th Sunday of Matthew
On the 11th Sunday of Matthew, Fr. Matthew Howell shares a smattering of thoughts about forgiveness after giving a bit of context for the parable of the wicked servant. Less cohesive and linear in thinking than typical homilies, he hopes that the listener can hold onto one or two thoughts that...
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Mary WAS a Little Lamb -- Dormition of the Theotokos
On the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Fr. Matthew Howell couples a children's nursery rhyme to a quote from St. Anthony of Optina to describe the disposition of Mary, the Theotokos. He points out that she had not only had a lamb, but had the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the...
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Faith, asceticism, and a monk with super human strength-- 10th Sunday of Matthew & Feast of St. Herman
While serving at All Saints of North America Mission in Homer, Alaska on the 10th Sunday of Matthew and the feast of the glorification of St. Herman and the translation of his relics, Fr. Matthew Howell discusses the importance of asceticism (prayer and fasting) as acts of faith in the Christian...
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Glow in the dark grave clothes -- The Feast of the Transfiguration
On the feast of the Transfiguration, Fr. Matthew Howell discusses the grace of God and how it shines through the bodies and even the clothes of the saints. He ties in a Kathisma Hymn from the previous Sunday to use as a springboard and reminds listeners that we are all called to make ourselves…
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"Take Courage" -- the 9th Sunday of Matthew
On the 9th Sunday of Matthew and the feast of the translation of the relics of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, Fr. Timothy Kolb talks about how Jesus approaches his disciples on the water and encourages them. He mentions how Jesus proclaims that He is the "I AM" on the water, just as he did to Moses...
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St. Panteleimon the Unmercenary Healer
Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about prayerfulness in all our labors on the feast of St. Panteilemon the Unmercenary Healer and Martyr. Previous Homilies for St. Panteleimon: July 27, 2025 - “Freely ye have received; freely give” Epistle: 2 Timothy 2:1-10 Timothy, my son, be strong in the grace that...
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Never Enough: Feeding of the 5,000 -- 8th Sunday of Matthew
On the 8th Sunday of Matthew and 8th Sunday after Pentecost, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about faithfulness to God's calling to be generous. He explains how five loaves and two fish were not enough to feed the thousands of people who followed Jesus that day. Nevertheless, once everything was...
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Let Your Light Shine -- The Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council
On a rainy Sunday in July on which the Orthodox Church commemorates the 630 holy fathers of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, Fr. Timothy Kolb talks about the importance of letting Christ's light shine through us to bring joy to those around us. He points out that Christ calls Himself the Light of…
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"Turn the Dial to Humility" -- St. Paisios the Athonite and 6th Sunday after Pentecost
On July 12, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about the commemoration of St. Paisios (AKA Elder Paisios) the New of Mount Athos. He shares a few stories about St. Paisios and points out that his life of prayer for others, openness to Christ's light, and humility are attainable for us, too. Previous...
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Live in Reality -- 2026 Arch Week Wrap Up
On the final night of the Antiochian Village Camp's Arch Week Program, Fr. Matthew Howell wraps up the week with his encouragement to the Archers to live in reality. He points out that they can do everything at college or the next phase of their life that they did during Arch Week, but just in...
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The Never Ending Day of the Kingdom -- 3rd Sunday of Matthew
On the third Sunday after Pentecost (third Sunday of readings from Matthew) Fr. Matthew Howell threads together the epistle, the gospel, the one year anniversary of St. Olga's glorification, the summer solstice, Father's Day, and his mother-in-law's birthday. He draws from Revelation 21 and 22…
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Fill Out the Icon -- All Saints of America Sunday (2nd Sunday of Matthew)
On the second Sunday after Pentecost (2nd Sunday from the readings of Matthew), on which the Orthodox Church celebrates the local saints (i.e. All Saints of North America), Fr. Matthew Howell preaches in Homer, Alaska at All Saints of America Orthodox Mission. He highlights how the icon of the...
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"The Process of Sanctification is a Crockpot, not a Microwave" -- All Saints Sunday (1st after Pentecost)
On the first Sunday after Pentecost known as the Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Matthew Howell spends some time explaining the different elements of the festal icon for the day. He then posits that there is room in the icon for each and everyone of us because we are all called to become saints. He...
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"Be Filled with the Spirit" -- Pentecost Sunday
On the day of Pentecost, Fr. Timothy Kolb preaches about the life of the Christian imbued with the Holy Spirit. To do so, he compares the third Old Testament reading from Vespers on the eve of Pentecost to St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians (5:11-20). Previous homilies for the feast of…
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Become a Grace-Filled Fragrant Blossom -- Baptisms of George Angus & Iris Cherry
On the day before Pentecost following a baptism of an adult and an infant, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about the beginning of the new Christian life for the newly illumined and how they are called to put off the stench of sin while becoming fragrant vessels of grace through virtue and…
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Experiential Knowledge -- Sunday after Ascension (Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council)
On the 7th Sunday of Pascha on which the Orthodox Church commemorates the holy fathers of the first ecumenical council, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about the difference between knowing about God versus knowing God through experience of relationship, using the Prophet Moses in the cloud as an...
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"Up Like A Bubble Without Any Trouble" -- The Ascension of Christ
On the feast of the Ascension of Christ, Fr. Matthew Howell relies heavily on passages from The Feasts of the Lord by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos (chapter 11) to highlight some themes of the feast. He starts by describing the three births of Christ (in the flesh, baptism, and resurrection)…
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We Don't Need To Wait Until Next Year To Begin Our Repentance -- The Leavetaking Of Pascha
On the Leavetaking of Pascha, Fr. Matthew Howell encourages listeners to begin working now for next year's paschal joy, and reminding everyone that we do not need to wait for Lent to begin our repentance. Previous homilies for the Leavetaking of Pascha: May 28, 2025 The Joy of Pascha Through the...
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"O Lord, Open My Eyes that I May Behold Wondrous Things in Thy Law" -- The 6th Sunday of Pascha (Blind Man)
On the sixth Sunday of Pascha, Fr. Timothy Kolb talks about opening our spiritual eyes to remove our blindness that we may see Christ, God's creation, our neighbors, and His commandments more clearly, and ultimately then worship God truly. Previous homilies for the Sunday of the Blind Man:...
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Out of the Swamp into the Living Water -- 5th Sunday of Pascha (Samaritan Woman)
On the fifth Sunday of Pascha, Fr. Matthew Howell lays out several biblical verses connecting the "living water" that Christ mentions to the Samaritan Woman to the grace of the Holy Spirit. He describes the restlessness of vain pursuits of worldly items. He also mentions the "bread" of following...
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Saint Alexis of Wilkes-Barre
On the feast of St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, Fr. Timothy Kolb preaches about the conversion of St. Alexis Toth from the Roman Catholic Uniat sect to the Russian Orthodox Church. Epistle: Galatians 1:11-19 11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not...
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"What are we waiting for?" -- 3rd Sunday of Pascha: Myrrh-bearing Women, Joseph, and Nicodemus
On the 3rd Sunday of Pascha, Fr. Matthew Howell gives some background on Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the Myrrh-bearing women. He points out that, though Joseph of Arimathea was "waiting for the kingdom of God," he was not waiting passively, nor were the Myrrh-bearing women passive in…
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What a bargain! — Thomas Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of Pascha
On the second Sunday of Pascha known as Thomas Sunday (the first Sunday after Pascha), Fr. Matthew Howell talks about how Americans love bargains and how we love "bargaining" (negotiating). He points out that St. Thomas "bargains" for evidence of the resurrection ("unless I see...and feel...")…
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Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom (in English)
This homily was originally given by St. John Chrysostom (+407 AD). In the Orthodox Church, this homily is read during the Pascha Vigil in every parish throughout the world. This reading of the homily was read in English by Fr. Matthew Howell on April 12, 2026 during the Pascha service at St.…
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Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom (in Slavonic)
This homily was originally given by St. John Chrysostom (+407 AD). In the Orthodox Church, this homily is read during the Pascha Vigil in every parish throughout the world. This reading of the homily in Slavonic was read by Yaroslav Dopirchuk during the Pascha service at Saint Herman...
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"I Am With You Always To The End Of The Age" -- Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy
On Holy Saturday, Fr. Timothy Kolb recaps the journey of Holy Week, talking about how we were with Christ in Bethany at the raising of Lazarus, with him entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and with him at every event of Holy Week. Fr. Timothy points us to the promise that Christ gave to His...
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Betrayal of the Spirit of Christ's Humility -- Holy Thursday (The Mystical Supper)
On Holy Thursday morning, during the Vesperal Liturgy for the Mystical Supper, Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about the Orthros Gospel, pointing out that Christ tries to warn His disciples about how He will be betrayed, but the disciples already betray Christ's spirit of humility by clamoring to…
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Christ Rides on a Donkey to Save Those Who are Donkey-like -- Palm Sunday
On Palm Sunday, Fr. Timothy Kolb preaches about the God of the universe humbly riding a donkey comes to those who are donkey-like to redeem them and bring them into the holy city. Along the way, Fr. Timothy explains many different symbols and elements of the feast. Previous homilies from Palm...
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Miraculous Resuscitation of a Newborn Body and of Many More Souls -- Lazarus Saturday
On Lazarus Saturday, during the liturgy which followed 8 baptisms and 6 more chrismations, Fr. Matthew Howell starts with a miraculous story of St. Olga healing and visiting a newborn baby in Goldendale, Washington. He then connects it to the baptisms and chrismations performed that morning in…
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"Don't Die With Entitlement; Live as a Servant" -- 5th Sunday of Lent
On the fifth Sunday of Great Lent, Fr. Timothy Kolb preaches through the Gospel reading and focuses on the importance of a life of service to others as we imitate Christ, who "came not to be served but to serve." Along the way, he mentions St. Mary of Egypt and also compares the clergy and altar...
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"Proclaim from day to day the Good Tidings of the salvation of our God" -- The Annunciation
On the feast of the Annunciation, Fr. Matthew Howell curates passages from The Feasts of the Lord by Met. Hierotheos Vlachos to discuss several aspects of the feast. He starts with the meaning of the term "good news" (gospel) saying that the this feast is THE Good News, not just some good news....
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Step 9: On Malice (Remembrance of Wrongs) and Step 10: On Slander -- The Ladder of Divine Ascent -- Fourth Sunday of Lent
On the fourth Sunday of Lent on which the Orthodox Church commemorates St. John Climacus, author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent (full text can be found here), Fr. Matthew Howell preaches about Steps 9 and 10 of The Ladder: “On Malice” and "On Slander." Fr. Matthew gives a brief overview of St....
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I awoke, for the Lord sustained me -- 3rd Sunday of Lent (Holy Cross) by Fr. Timothy Kolb
On the third Sunday of Lent, Fr. Timothy Kolb preaches about how, just as waking is connected to sleeping, so too is Christ's resurrection connected to His cross. Fr. Timothy encourages us to take up our crosses in our daily lives, including but not limited to doing homework or math fact sheets…
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On the Toolkit for Spiritual Battle in Lent, and on Prayer -- the 2nd Sunday of Lent
On the second Sunday of Lent while visiting All Saints of America Church in Homer, Alaska, Fr. Matthew Howell offers an overview of the toolkit for spiritual battle that the Orthodox Church gives to its faithful during Lent. The first Sunday of Lent equips us with icons; the second Sunday teaches...
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Icons are about God becoming Man -- The First Sunday of Lent
On the first Sunday of Lent, Fr. Timothy Kolb talks about how great it is to be an Orthodox Christian and how wonderful it is to have icons to use for prayer. He then goes on to discuss how icons are an affirmation of the incarnation of Christ, how they are actually about God becoming human so…
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St. Theodore the Recruit and the Miracle of the Kolyva -- First Saturday of Lent
On the First Saturday of Lent, Fr. Matthew Howell reads from the Synaxarion about the current feast and how St. Theodore saved the faithful Christians in Constantinople from eating food that was defiled by pagan sacrifices in the first week of Lent in the mid-fourth century. Epistle: 2 Timothy...
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Paradise, Forgiveness, and the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim -- Forgiveness Sunday
On the Sunday before Lent begins, known as Forgiveness Sunday, Fr. Matthew Howell walks through three different elements of our Lenten season. He begins by discussing Paradise, Adam's expulsion from it, and our return to it in Lent and at Pascha. He then discusses forgiveness and how it makes us...
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"I am from someone, going somewhere, to become something" -- Sunday of the Last Judgment
On the Sunday of the Last Judgment, Fr. Matthew Howell appeases the people by making fun of his wife's goats. He reassures everyone that he doesn't like goats, and doesn't even particularly like sheep. He even brings a couple of goat props that he has been given. He then talks about the wisdom…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Homilies given either at Saint Herman Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wasilla, Alaska or by its priest, Fr. Matthew Howell during his travels outside the parish. Feel free to play "Homily Bingo" while listening! Get a bingo card here: https://myfreebingocards.com/bingo-card-generator/30-free-cards/gbhcwg3
HOSTED BY
Fr. Matthew Howell
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sermons from St. Herman's have?
Sermons from St. Herman's currently has 441 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sermons from St. Herman's about?
Homilies given either at Saint Herman Antiochian Orthodox Church in Wasilla, Alaska or by its priest, Fr. Matthew Howell during his travels outside the parish. Feel free to play "Homily Bingo" while listening! Get a bingo card here:...
How often does Sermons from St. Herman's release new episodes?
Sermons from St. Herman's publishes regularly with 441 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Sermons from St. Herman's is created and hosted by Fr. Matthew Howell.
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